


Cooling Off

by InkDrawnDreamer



Category: Preacher (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Ice Cream, M/M, One Shot, Requests, because I needed something not angsty with these two, heat wave, swearing because it's still preacher, written after s2ep02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-06
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2019-01-09 21:32:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12284793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkDrawnDreamer/pseuds/InkDrawnDreamer
Summary: There was truly nothing that burned worse—nothing that was more painful—than the fiery pits of hell. That said, rural Texas in the summer was still a close second.





	Cooling Off

**Author's Note:**

> This one was an request from cultofthepigeon on tumblr. Enjoy!

At its core, hell was the land of chaos and extremes. Lost souls could find themselves rotting from frostbite or being melted by flame depending on where they ended up. There was truly nothing that burned worse—nothing that was more painful—than the fiery pits of hell. That said, rural Texas in the summer was still a close second. When Genesis first escaped to Earth, it's guardians had not anticipated that they would stay in any one place for long, so they had not exactly packed for a long visit, nor for any of the many minor catastrophes that could (and would) take place during said visit. Like dropping into bumfuck nowhere Texas during the hottest week on record, for instance. That god-awful heat wave was precisely why DeBlanc and Fiore were currently half-naked and slumped in front of their motel room's air conditioner, which  did not blow out a cool, refreshing breeze so much as it sputtered and choked out the occasional puff of lukewarm air. Well, you make do with what you have. They were both stripped down to their underclothes. They had long since sweat through their suits, which were crumpled up against their beds. The beds were really not necessary accommodations, seeing as they did not technically need to sleep (although they were willing to take whatever small luxuries they could get out of this godforsaken detour). Naturally, they shared a bed, although the last few nights had been so uncomfortably humid that they had each taken to sleeping sprawled out at opposite ends of the mattress without blankets, which had long been abandoned to a heap on the floor.

"This sucks." Fiore groaned from where he lay against the scratchy and frankly much too hot carpet. His upper body from his head to his shoulders were a ripely sunburned pink. DeBlanc noticed a few new freckles clustered around his collar as well.

"You think if we killed ourselves it would cool us down a bit?" the angel mumbled.

"I doubt it." That earned him another groan. He rubbed the sweat from his face with the bottom edge of his undershirt. Surely there must be something that could help them cool off. 

"What are you thinking about?" Fiore eyed him suspiciously as he stood up. 

"I think I have an idea."  
   
That idea eventually turned into a mile and a half long walk through Anneville alongside a very pink and very confused angel. DeBlanc announced their arrival just as Fiore had opened his mouth to complain once again about why in the name of all that was good that he thought slogging through the heat would possibly _help_ their situation.

"Where are we?"

They stood in front of a pale brick building. A plastic ice cream cone spun lazily beside the tinted picture window, where a neon open sign flashed sporadically like a quick-blinking eye. He almost didn't notice DeBlanc grab his hand as he was busy staring.

"Come along my dear." A bell jingled overhead as he lead him through the door. Fiore shivered as they stepped inside, the steep drop in temperature taking him by surprise. The interior of the building was like a fluorescent icebox, with white walls sitting on a floor of checkered tiles. DeBlanc ushered him toward the long glass-topped counter that divided the room. Behind the glass was a row of buckets filled with all different colors and flavors of ice cream. 

"Pick whatever you like." He took out his wallet. "I'll have a single scoop of chocolate," he told the cashier—a bored-looking teenaged girl. "Fiore?"

He pointed to a tub of orange laced with white swirls. "That one."

"Alright, a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of dreamsicle then." Deblanc pressed a few crumpled bills into the girl's hand and she handed him back two sugar cones wrapped in brown napkins. He handed one to Fiore as they sat down. 

He stared curiously at the treat. It was the soft color of a peach, slightly darker than his own skin, and there was an odd assortment of pastel-colored beads on top. Nervously, he bit into the ice cream and immediately found himself recoiling. 

"Too cold?" He nodded. "Yes, that can happen. Try touching your tongue to the roof of your mouth, I hear that helps."

It helped a little, but he was a little too focused on the chill grinding into his teeth to taste much.

"Just lick at it instead." Deblanc said as he did just that with his own, continuing to shape the large brown scoop into a smaller cylinder in the center of the cone. Fiore huffed and took a cautious whiff of his ice cream (God, it even _smelled_ cold) before tapping at it with the tip of his tongue. He gave it a lick. It was sweet and slightly tangy, and although it was very cold, the small amount he took in melted quickly in his mouth. It was strangely refreshing and he found that he actually enjoyed it. 

"Good?" he beamed at his partner, who smiled back earnestly. "Glad to hear. I thought you would." He held out his own dessert to the angel. "Want to try any?"

He did. This one was was sweet too, but not in the same way that the first one was. It was creamier, less tangy and more rich-tasting than the other one. He liked it enough that he snuck himself another bite before Deblanc took it back. 

"That was good." Fiore stretched as they were leaving.

"You feel a bit better now?" 

He nodded as he opened the door and they stepped back into the humid Texas heat. The cool shield of the air conditioning on their skin was already beginning to melt off as they left the shadow of the building. Fiore reached between them for Deblanc's hand. The tips of his fingers were cool to the touch, even with the added heat made by their joined hands. It was just cool enough, Fiore decided, for him to make it back to the motel without another complaint.


End file.
